Quotes of the day

posted at 8:01 pm on October 18, 2013 by Allahpundit

Obamacare was always going to be a major issue in the mid-term elections, since so many of its major pieces — the new health coverage, the online marketplaces where the coverage is available, the expansion of Medicaid, and the hated individual mandate — become real in January.

But now, Democrats will also have to talk about a federal health insurance website that barely anyone can use. Even White House spokesman Jay Carney was reduced to arguing Thursday that Obamacare isn’t just a website — after Obama has been saying it would be as easy as shopping for flat-screen TVs online…

“If the website isn’t fixed soon, it’s not just a Republican issue. Everyone’s concerned,” said Tim Jost, a law professor at Washington and Lee University who’s a vocal advocate of the law. “I don’t see this as just a political problem. I see this as a real problem for millions of Americans.”

***

Two weeks after the launch of the Michigan Health Insurance Marketplace, it’s still unclear how many Michiganders have been able to buy insurance there.

Comments earlier today by the chief deputy of the Michigan Department of Insurance and Financial Services underscored the lingering confusion over health insurance exchanges, the centerpiece in each state of the federal Affordable Care Act.

Now that we’re two weeks into open enrollment, and shoppers aren’t facing much luck actually enrolling, there’s chatter among health wonks about what that means for the sign-up period: Could it get extended? The individual mandate delayed? Some other option?…

If the problems happening now though persist until the end of the month, that’s when you might see more serious talk of policy changes that give people more of an opportunity to sign up.

But insurers are focused on a much earlier date: Jan. 1. That’s when the insurance plans will start to become active. The nightmare scenario for insurers would be if, at the beginning of the new year, they are bombarded by complaints from consumers who, based on information displayed on the federal website, were expecting a certain set of benefits that don’t correspond to the plans to which they signed up.

This doesn’t even get to the broader health policy issue. The success of Obamacare hinges on the exchanges being able to enroll enough young and healthy individuals to offset the cost of covering older and sicker patients, particularly those with pre-existing conditions.

Given that Americans with higher medical costs are more likely to endure an arduous enrollment process than healthier individuals, sustained technological problems could be devastating to the program.

Healthcare.gov is a colossal, expensive failure that projects a 1970s-era DMV experience into cyberspace. It wasn’t for lack of money. As The New York Times reports in a devastating anatomy of failure, some $400 million has been spent so far in creating “a one-stop click-and-go hub for citizens seeking health insurance.” But rest easy, America, since the Times cites a source who says that “the project was now roughly 70 percent of the way toward operating properly.” And the other 30 percent, which is kinda sorta important? “I’ve heard as little as two weeks or as much as a couple of months.” Which is to say, don’t go skydiving or skiing come January 1, 2014…

Eventually, the crowd at healthcare.gov will thin out, either because fed-up folks—especially the “young invincibles” who are so important to any chance of the program’s success—stop going there or because the government hires some decent programmers. Whether it’s in two months or 12—and whether it costs another $400 million—is anybody’s guess. But while you’re waiting, consider this: The Congressional Research Service found that the Obama administration missed half of its statutory deadlines for the implementation of The Affordable Care Act in its first three years.

There’s no rush. After the program becomes fully operational, then the real troubles will begin. Who in their right mind is going to feel comfortable giving income and other personal information to a site that inspires less sense of security than a Russian mail-order bride website? The government’s super-spy outfit—the National Security Agency—allowed a short-term contract employee to walk out with a bazillion incriminating PowerPoint slides. And you’re asking us to believe that HHS is going to keep things confidential?

***

Gallup’s tracking suggests little progress has been made in uninsured Americans’ awareness of the insurance requirement or familiarity with healthcare exchanges in the weeks since they have been open. On the positive side, more than seven in 10 uninsured Americans are aware they need to get insurance. However, the same percentage say they are unfamiliar with the exchanges, the primary place uninsured Americans are supposed to be able to find insurance.

***

The U.S. individual health insurance market currently totals about 19 million people. Because the Obama administration’s regulations on grandfathering existing plans were so stringent about 85% of those, 16 million, are not grandfathered and must comply with Obamacare at their next renewal. The rules are very complex. For example, if you had an individual plan in March of 2010 when the law was passed and you only increased the deductible from $1,000 to $1,500 in the years since, your plan has lost its grandfather status and it will no longer be available to you when it would have renewed in 2014.

These 16 million people are now receiving letters from their carriers saying they are losing their current coverage and must re-enroll in order to avoid a break in coverage and comply with the new health law’s benefit mandates––the vast majority by January 1. Most of these will be seeing some pretty big rate increases.

Obama, no doubt, wants to avoid the political embarrassment of a delay — or even the mere suggestion of one. But what happens if it’s the middle of December and enrollments are nowhere near where they need to be to make the system viable? What if, by necessity, he has to seek a delay?

The operating assumption would be that Republicans would jump at the chance to delay it. But after the past few weeks, can we really be sure that this would be the case?

It’s perfectly conceivable that if such a scenario played out, the position of the Tea Party activists and their allies in Congress would be that delaying the law for a year would be tantamount to a bailout of Obamacare.

Keeping in mind that the pressure for delay will be intense from the states where exchanges are not functioning a month or more from now – which would likely include every state in the federal exchange – and that insurers will insist that they can’t delay the mandate without also delaying the goodies (pre-existing, community rating, etc.), there are a couple of things that I think could come next. Here are, broadly speaking, five different scenarios:

1. The White House could call for/implement via executive order or some other unilateral step a real delay of the individual mandate, just owning the problem or framing it as “we won’t enforce the penalty for 2014″ (likely bringing on a lawsuit from insurers, unless you find a way to make them whole)…

5. POTUS, convinced that he’s in a powerful position in the wake of the shutdown, could refuse any and all delays and privately threaten any Democrats who consider proposing them. Obamacare is the law of the land.

Of course it’s possible this nightmare will not happen. Things will get ironed out somehow.

But if they don’t, who’s responsible? First, a president who is not much interested in how government works on the ground. As a community organizer he never did get all the asbestos removed from the Altgeld housing project…

Third, government IT procurement rules are kludgy. Apple didn’t bid on this. The IT work went to insider firms that specialize in jumping through the hoops and ladders of government procurement rules…

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1. The White House could call for/implement via executive order or some other unilateral step a real delay of the individual mandate, just owning the problem or framing it as “we won’t enforce the penalty for 2014″ (likely bringing on a lawsuit from insurers, unless you find a way to make them whole)…

I am finding myself more and more shocked at just what POTUS has the ability to do via executive power. We need to fix that when and if the Republicans take over. I don’t care which side it is, that too much power for one person.

Site’s nearly dead. Twelve people on all of hot air, and half of them are arguing for fun about whether or not Arnold would make a good president.

Sophie, if you are out there, let’s blow this joint and go to the studio for the evening. You can watch documentaries and Skype London while I think up new and clever ways to tell you how much I love and adore you without directly saying it. :p

. . . as it is, I may have to actually go back to work til bedtime out of sheer desperation.

I am finding myself more and more shocked at just what POTUS has the ability to do via executive power. We need to fix that when and if the Republicans take over. I don’t care which side it is, that too much power for one person.

The great irony, to me, is that Matthews is actually nostalgic for a time when politics was friendlier, which was when the GOP was running the show. Under Clinton there was that nasty impeachment and sex scandal, as I recall. Government shut down, etc. Not too friendly then, either. LOL!

A guest on MSDNC today commented that Obama’s campaign had been a perfectly coordinated and concocted Internet methodology that helped his campaign and led to his re-election. They then wondered why he wasn’t able to put the same computer geniuses together to design the Obamacare internet system. OK, they couldn’t understand, but I’ll tell you why: During the campaign they were using their own money and hired the right people. For Obamacare, they are using our money and hiring people they owe. This, my friends is why we need to clean house.

Agreed. Wonder why the no one can do anything about this. He is bypassing the law. Does it rise to “high crimes and misdemeanors”? Can he be impeached? Is there some other process?

derft on October 18, 2013 at 8:24 PM

He could be impeached, but you need 67 votes in the Senate to convict and remove him. In other words, there’s no sense in impeaching him.

While he is in office, there is nothing else that can be done. When he leaves, if evidence comes to light of theft, embezzlement, or other crimes, then he could be tried in Federal court. Of course, remember that the Presidency is a club, which is why Ford pardoned Nixon and Obama didn’t prosecute Bush, to the great dismay of his Netroots worshipers.

Agreed. Wonder why the no one can do anything about this. He is bypassing the law. Does it rise to “high crimes and misdemeanors”? Can he be impeached? Is there some other process?

derft on October 18, 2013 at 8:24 PM

We have a rising minority majority in this nation. Check your states schools. They just flipped to a minority majority here in Oklahoma this year. Only about 37% of the entire population of California is non-Hispanic white. New Mexico is also a minority majority state, as is Hawaii, and Texas is slated to flip to a minority majority state within the next decade.

The GOP is anticipating another 17 million Latino voters added in the next 10 years.

The idea of trying to impeach Obama, regardless of what he does, means being called ‘racist’. The GOP is terrified that the image of the GOP as the racist party would stick in the minds of the new minority majority electorate.

“Obama, no doubt, wants to avoid the political embarrassment of a delay — or even the mere suggestion of one.”
Isn’t it just as likely that obama wants this to crash and burn? He must know that he can successfully blame it on the Republicans, somehow, and that lots of RINOs will agree with him. Then we would be closer to the chaos that obama craves.

I am finding myself more and more shocked at just what POTUS has the ability to do via executive power. We need to fix that when and if the Republicans take over. I don’t care which side it is, that too much power for one person.

Cindy Munford on October 18, 2013 at 8:12 PM

A better question is: what can’t the POTUS do via Executive power, especially when the Congress abdicates their primary responsibility to check that power?

A better question is: what can’t the POTUS do via Executive power, especially when the Congress abdicates their primary responsibility to check that power?

Of course, the answer is rhetorical: nothing …

ShainS on October 18, 2013 at 8:30 PM

He can’t nationalise the steel industry when there is a nationwide strike and we are in the middle of a war.
Youngstown Sheet & Tube Co. v Sawyer, 343 U.S. 579 (1952).

So, for all those that are entertaining the fear of Obama nationalising the healthcare industry, there’s that. If Truman couldn’t seize assets vital to the war materiel machine during the Korean War, it is doubtful that the Supreme Court would let Obama violated the Takings Clause.

He could be impeached, but you need 67 votes in the Senate to convict and remove him. In other words, there’s no sense in impeaching him.

Resist We Much on October 18, 2013 at 8:28 PM

Doesn’t the House start the impeachment process. At least that sends a message, even if it does not stop the practice. I guess he can just release an executive order and do what ever he wants. Guess we have King Edward Obama I.

So, for all those that are entertaining the fear of Obama nationalising the healthcare industry, there’s that. If Truman couldn’t seize assets vital to the war materiel machine during the Korean War, it is doubtful that the Supreme Court would let Obama violated the Takings Clause.

Resist We Much on October 18, 2013 at 8:35 PM

That was a mere “police action”. His predecessor got away with seizing far more than the steel industry during WWII.

The idea of trying to impeach Obama, regardless of what he does, means being called ‘racist’. The GOP is terrified that the image of the GOP as the racist party would stick in the minds of the new minority majority electorate.

thatsafactjack

Which is why the claims of the HA squishes who claim we must win elections before we can get rid of Obamacare is utter BS.

Doesn’t the House start the impeachment process. At least that sends a message, even if it does not stop the practice. I guess he can just release an executive order and do what ever he wants. Guess we have King Edward Obama I.

I think impeachment is a bridge to far but I would be surprised to find that someone hasn’t contacted a lawyer. Especially over the waivers for businesses but not individuals. Of course, it may all be perfectly legals with this crazy fill in the blank piece of legislation. Still…..equal protection?

Doesn’t the House start the impeachment process. At least that sends a message, even if it does not stop the practice. I guess he can just release an executive order and do what ever he wants. Guess we have King Edward Obama I.

derft on October 18, 2013 at 8:36 PM

The House is completely in charge of impeachment, but that’s only part of the process. The House is akin to the DA filing charges or a Grand Jury returning an indictment. The real action occurs in the Senate.

If you want to ‘send a message,’ go for it, but it didn’t work out so well with Clinton.

Recall: There were 55 Republicans in the Senate. 50 voted to convict Clinton of obstruction of justice. Only 45 voted to convict him of perjury.

And, as we all know, he left office with a very high approval rating and is still extraordinarily popular.

The difference, of course, between Obama and Clinton is that the latter presided over a much better economy. What saves Obama – save for a possible conviction if he sawed off Michelle’s head live during the halftime of the Super Bowl – is that he’s black and Democrats will NEVER remove the first black POTUS. Never, ever, evah.

What about the waivers for the businesses but not individuals for the implementation of Obamacare and/or the subsidies given to government workers, who probably would actually qualify for the Cadillac tax given their pay and type of insurance.

Of course, would any individual group (who would obviously be outed by the LSM as racist if not terrorist, be given proctology exams by the IRS, and be moved to the top of the Death Panel list) dare challenge The Messiah in court?

Obamacare was always going to be a major issue in the mid-term elections

Thanks, Losers, you wanted this so badly, now you got it. The downsides are that it affects us, too, and the aforementioned Obama voting losers will blame everything and everybody besides this being a stupid idea from the beginning and the Choomer in Chief…so they’ll continue to be loser Libtards and vote for and support all things Libtard rather than having an epiphany and getting a clue as to how the real world works.

Most Libtards cannot fathom the possibility that their crackpot Socialist ideals don’t work and never have. And as Ayn Rand pointed out, they always think it’s someone else’s fault when these Utopian schemes don’t work out for them.

Oh, and they don’t get that their idols are actually crooks that use Leftist ideology to sucker them.

Of course, would any individual group (who would obviously be outed by the LSM as racist if not terrorist, be given proctology exams by the IRS, and be moved to the top of the Death Panel list) dare challenge The Messiah in court?

Well one good thing that would come out of trying to impeach him might be they spend less time on immigration reform and other wonderful plans to destroy American. I like Cindy’s to sue and keep them busy in the courts.

The dirtly little secret is that hitting the debt limit (which we did in May) does not really limit deficit spending.

The treasury keeps on deficit spending using the shell game of borrowing from “extraordinary measures” which are conveniently considered debt that is not “subject to limit”.

But then, as soon soon as the debt limit is raised, Treasury securities are sold and used to “make whole” the borrowing that was done via “extraordinary measures”.

Now, if the Republicans had stood strong until the “Extraordinary Measures” had been completely exhausted, then our debt would truly have been limited… Treasury would have nowhere else to go to borrow money, and outlays would have had to have been limited to receipts (revenues).

Republicans were so close to forcing Democrats to prioritize outlays, and it would have been very enlightening to see how Obama and Treasury Secretary Lew chose to prioritize outlays. That would have been the Democrats’ worst nightmare.

But Harry Reid knew that Boehner was terrified of the “default” threat (which only would have happened if Obama and Lew CHOSE not to prioritize the payment of the interest on our debt, and would not have happened on 10/17), and Harry Reid knew that Boehner would cave at the 11th hour, just as he has several times before.

What about the waivers for the businesses but not individuals for the implementation of Obamacare and/or the subsidies given to government workers, who probably would actually qualify for the Cadillac tax given their pay and type of insurance.

Cindy Munford on October 18, 2013 at 8:42 PM

The House would have standing to sue, but probably won’t.

The interesting thing about the waivers/delays and standing is that regular Joes may, in fact, have standing to sue over the EM delay. To have standing, you have to show that you would be harmed. Well, if you currently work for an employer, earn, say, $95,000 a year, have a family, and your employer drops you next year, you will be harmed. Why? Because you will have to purchase high-cost insurance and will not be eligible for any subsidies. So, it is quite possible that you could sue and challenge the legality of the EM delay.

Law enforcement officials are investigating a threat against Sen. Ted Cruz (R-Texas), who was vaulted into national prominence with his push to defund ObamaCare.

A person identifying himself as Troy Gilmore Jr., posted on Twitter Friday morning: “Take down Ted Cruz, at his home” and listed Cruz’s home address in Houston.
“What goes around comes around CRUZ!!” the person wrote.

The author of the threat uses the Twitter handle @ArmyVet54 and identifies himself as having served in the U.S. Army and Navy.

Sean Rushton, Cruz’s spokesman, said, “We’re aware of it and have alerted the proper authorities.”
“I can’t comment further on security matters,” he said.

At the age of 40 Chris was involved in a life threatening car crash in which he thought he would certainly die. This precipitated total inner surrender and a rapid reconnection with the conscious life force through all things.

He found himself suddenly able to experience and contemplate through multiple dimensions of reality to see the deeper purpose of life itself. He began to remember his true reason for being here.

He explains…

“During the crash, time seemed to slow right down and I was guided back through key moments of my life. I was realising that every moment in our lives has but one underlying purpose – to reveal an aspect of truth about ourselves to ourselves. I was beginning to dissolve every belief and value our society had conditioned within me.”

“This was my initial awakening to the magical unifying consciousness of the soul. Over the eight years that followed, I was guided through four other inner ‘Gateways’ of consciousness. I have since come to know the process as the five key expansions on our journey of Enlightenment and ultimate Ascension into multi dimensional living – our divine birthright”.